Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment from October 1, 2019, to November 3, 2019.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his lumbar spine disorder and his TDIU claim have been denied due to the lack of adequate evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran is granted service connection for a skin disability, right shoulder disability, and bilateral hearing loss disability. Service connection for a back disability, neck disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and adjustment disorder) is denied.,Service connection for the skin disability is established based on in-service exposure to sun and headgear restrictions.

The Veteran's low back disability and bilateral plantar fasciitis are granted service connection. The Veteran is also granted a rating of 60 percent effective September 22, 2019 for his GERD.,Service connection has been established for the Veteran's low back disability (claimed as low back disability) and bilateral plantar fasciitis due to in-service injury/event/illness. The Veteran is also granted a rating of 60 percent effective September 22, 2019 for his GERD.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is rated at a 20 percent disability level, with forward flexion limited to 45 degrees.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain was denied. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hip disorder, hypertension, and lung disorder were granted. The claims for service connection for these conditions are remanded due to the need for additional development regarding exposure history.

The Veteran has withdrawn all of his pending claims and appeals, including those related to bronchitis, dermatitis, tremors, chronic fatigue syndrome, right knee strain, low back strain, multiple scars on the left side of body, sinusitis with headaches, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity sciatic nerve, left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis with degenerative arthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for mild disc degeneration in multiple levels including L4/5 and L5/S1 was denied, as the evidence did not show that his disability warranted a rating in excess of 20 percent.,Prior to September 15, 2022, the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) was denied. From September 15, 2022, his claim for a 40 percent disability rating was granted.,The Veteran was also granted entitlement to a total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claim for additional retroactive VA disability compensation benefits under the Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payment (CRDP) program is remanded due to insufficient information from the retired pay center and DFAS records. The AOJ must provide a detailed review of the Veteran's compensation award, specifically for the period prior to April 1, 2019.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal, and they were granted service connection for all the disabilities pending in this appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back condition and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the service-connected low back condition, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to determine if the Veteran's back disability and right leg condition are proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as there is not enough evidence to show that his service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and maintaining gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD with depression and alcohol use disorder, chronic lumbar strain, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The VA must obtain additional opinions on these issues.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions. The Board also found that secondary service connection for radiculopathy could not be granted due to lack of a service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased rating were dismissed as he withdrew his claims in writing before the Board made a decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain, residuals of right and left ankle sprains, and patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right and left knee due to insufficient medical evidence on file.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted due to the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities, which render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of lumbar degenerative disc disease was not incurred in or related to her military service.

The Board dismissed the appeals for reductions in evaluation, ratings for sciatic and femoral radiculopathy, and service connection for umbilical hernia and shaving condition.